Bristleworms, how many is too many?

[TNT]

I am considering baiting and removing some of the bristle worms from my tank. I have noticed lately that several (hard to count, but I estimate 10) of them have gotten over 6" long and are visible almost all the time. While I don't mind the look of them and realize they are good for the sand bed and cleaning the rock of detritus (Sp?) I am wondering if I should remove some as I don't have anything in my tank that will help control the population. Anyone have an opinion that might help me? Thanks

[perpetual98]

I tend to grab the big ones when I see them. I do it more so because they're creepy than anything else. There's a MONSTER in my 20L that I only see parts of at night, and when I do see it, it's about 6" long and as thick as my pinky. I've never seen the whole thing out in the open at once, so I get the heebie-jeebies when I think about it.

[Fatman]

Dont they have some natural predetors?

[Whoyah]

Typically a large population of bristle worms is a sign that a tank is being overfeed. They are scavengers and eat the leftover food. Some are good, lot of them a bad IMO. If you cut back on the amount being feed, the population will reduce. I would suggest removing some of the big ones if you can because they can begin eating other things (soft corals and clams) as well. Anything over 2" I flush. The small ones make good house keepers IMO.

[TNT]

Thanks for the replies....I think I will start grabbing the big ones with tweezers and leave the others alone...I don't think that I am overfeeding...but the rock I have came from a 300 gallon tank that was definitely being overfed....and they just came with it

[spartanrob]

I normally let mine live in my old tank as they would clean up a lot of waste, but if I had clams I probably wouldn't let the big ones stay. I have heard or read somewhere that some shrimp will take care of them.

[MyNemesis]

I had a Yellow Coris Wrasse for quite a long time. Loved to eat the little buggers and then rub his mouth on the live rock to get rid of the bristles. Always kept them in check, in addition to other reef pests.

[spartanrob]

That's right! I had a six-line wrasse that kept them in check also.

[MizTanks]

The traps you buy at the lfs are useless against the big ones~little ones they work great. I agree with the over feeding.

You can also starve them out, which is partly what I did. Cut down on feeding your fish to every other day(which is what I did also and no it wont hurt them) do this for about 2wks. You can then start feeding everyday once a day and only the amount the fish will eat.
You will first kill off the smaller ones through starvation. The bigger of course will take more time.

Or you could just catch them and sell em to your lfs :)

Arrow Crabs love em too.

[Sir Patrick]

If you can count more than 50 in a 1ftx1ft area- you have too many.....If they are eating your corals and fish, and have been caught red handed- you have too many.